Month: February 2014

Minnesota Hit With Worst Driving Conditions in Decades

Minnesota Snow DrivingWe all know the weather in Minnesota can be a little rough, but the weather we experienced at the end of last week contributed to some of the worst driving conditions the state has ever seen.

The storm came in Thursday afternoon and continued into Friday morning. Some areas of the state got more than six inches of snow, and plowing was discontinued in some places until the snowfall ceased. Drivers woke up for their morning commute only to find ice-covered cars, slick roads, and more than a few cars in the ditch.

Minnesota State Trooper Matt Langer said the roads were the worst he’s seen in 25 years. Lt. Col Langer urged Minnesotans to stay off the roads on Friday unless it was “absolutely necessary.”

Despite Langer’s warnings, more than 400 crashes were reported between Thursday afternoon and Friday evening. The Minnesota State Patrol also said they responded to 40 jackknifed semis, 32 accidents with injury, and one fatality. When you add it all up, the Minnesota State Patrol responded to one accident every four minutes between Thursday afternoon and Friday night.

You can see some photos of the driving conditions from around the Twin Cities metro area below.

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394 westbound blocked at penny pic.twitter.com/VpU32rL4lW

— Joe B (@joeb612) February 21, 2014

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Yesterday's snow is making Minnesota travel conditions treacherous: http://t.co/CiJAPGkdj7 pic.twitter.com/33kdlrDVY4

— KARE 11 (@kare11) February 22, 2014

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RT @KimInsley: Another good reason to stay home. Cars/trucks not making it up hills. pic.twitter.com/Yrwe6zJ1mK

— KARE 11 (@kare11) February 21, 2014

Driving in Adverse Conditions

We’ve blogged frequently this winter about how to stay safe while driving on the snow and ice. You can check out our expanded post by following the link, or see the abbreviated list below.

1. Check Your Tires – Winter tires can help you get up that same hill other cars with All-Season tires can’t.

2. Windshield Prep – Clear the snow from all of your windows so you can make lane changes without worrying if a car is hidden in your blindspot.

3. Take It Slow – No need to be Dominic Toretto out there.

4. Know Your Roads – If you know a sharp turn or a steep hill is coming up, ease off the gas pedal. You won’t be able to maneuver certain areas of your drive at the usual speed, so use common sense.

5. Prepare For The Worst – Make sure your car is stocked up on emergency essentials, like:

  • A charged cell phone
  • Blanket
  • Emergency lights/flashers
  • Sand or other traction-improving material
  • First aid kit

If your need to have body work done because you got in an accident during the blizzard, or if you need a new battery as temperatures again drop below freezing, stop in to Affordable Auto today.

Related source: St. Cloud Times

How do I know if a Mechanic is Ripping Me Off?

Screen Shot 2015-07-16 at 10.28.27 AMUnless you have a friend or family member who is well versed in automobiles, finding a trusty mechanic can be an intimidating process. We would love to believe that people in the service industry are inherently trustworthy, but unfortunately that isn’t always the case. 

Although you may never know for sure until you’ve had service done at a specific auto garage, there are a few things you can do to ensure the shop you’re visiting is trustworthy. Below, we share four tips on what to look for in a trusted mechanic.

1. Check Out Google Plus – One of the first places you should look while doing your homework on a mechanic is to see if the company has a Google+ page. Google+ is a more professional social media site where users with a valid Google account can leave honest feedback about the company. Customers can score the service they received on a 5-point scale, with 5 being the best. If you head on over to our page, you’ll see that we currently have a 4.6/5.0 rating. We’re pleased to have so many 5-star ratings, but we’re committed to improving that score every day.

2. Visit Other Social Media Pages – Customers are often a little more vocal on sites like Facebook and Twitter, but one thing to look for is how the company responds to complaints and praise. You might think, “Why should I care if a company takes the time to thank a customer for kind words on Twitter or respond to a negative post on Facebook as long as they do good work on my car?” Sure, it probably doesn’t matter to you that someone else had a problem because it’s not yours, but if a company shows that they are committed to resolving issues and reaching out to customers it shows that customer satisfaction is very important to them. If they value customer satisfaction, odds are they won’t jack up the price of service just to make a few more bucks.

3. Ask Around – Talk to friends and family about their experience with certain mechanics in the area. Since everyone has to have regular maintenance done on their vehicle, odds are you’ll get plenty of advice if you simply ask. Maybe your friend knows a great mechanic, or your brother-in-law had a bad experience with a certain shop. Many of our new customers hear about us from someone they know, and we’re glad our customers are happy to talk about their experience at Affordable Auto.

4. Bypass the Big Boys – We’ll save you the “buy local” spiel and explain why some of the national chains aren’t the best choice for your car. The thing is, although the national garages might be able to offer a slightly slower price to preform maintenance on your vehicle, you might be sacrificing quality work to save a few bucks. Many of the national chains hire young mechanics either right out of trade school or with only a few years of experience. It’s commendable that they are helping them get into the industry, but sometimes these mechanics aren’t the most knowledgeable, simply because they haven’t been in the industry long enough. At Affordable Auto, six of our technicians have a combined 150 years of experience working on all types of makes and models. They’ve seen it all and fixed it all. Put your trust in experienced mechanics.

Give Your Car Some Love This Valentine’s Day

Car LoveAre you looking for the perfect gift for the auto-enthusiast in your life this Valentine’s Day? Give them a great and practical gift by helping them take care of their car!

We rely on our car for so many things in our daily life; Taking Billy to hockey practice, running errands on the weekend and getting to work on time, but sometimes we take the car for granted. For some people, the only time they preform regular maintenance is when something breaks down or the Check Engine light comes on. Today, we’re going to share three quick and easy tips so you can keep the other love in your life running smoothly.

1) Oil Change

If you’d rather have your car’s oil changed by a professional, or if you don’t have a space to preform the task, we’d be more than happy to do the service for you, but changing the oil can be a fun teaching moment for couples or parents/children. Drain the oil into a disposable tray, and be sure to reattach the oil cap underneath your car before you pour in the new oil, otherwise you’ll have a mess on your hands. Dispose of the old oil in an environmentally safe location, and viola! You’ve successfully changed the oil.

2) Car Wash

Winter grime builds up as slushy roads and tires kick dirt up onto your vehicle. We don’t recommend washing your car in the driveway this time of year, so treat yourself or someone special to a car wash gift card at a nearby station. Your freshly washed car will stand out from the rest, which will look nice if you’re going to be driving to a restaurant for dinner on Valentine’s Day.

3) Treat Your Tires

Pothole season is almost upon us, and if your tires are already in bad shape, a nasty pothole could cause your tire to burst. Take a look at your tires and see if they should be rotated or replaced. We can have your tires rotated in no time, and this will ensure that your tires wear down evenly. By doing this, you can save money on gas and keep your suspension in top shape.

If you have any questions about other ways to keep your car running smoothly, simply scroll through some of our past blog posts.

Car-to-Car Communication Could Prevent Crashes

Screen Shot 2015-07-16 at 10.33.10 AMRegulators in the auto industry may soon require automakers to install crash-avoidance communication systems in all new vehicles, according to statements made by the Transportation Department. 

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said the Obama administration is intent on moving forward with vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems that prevent accidents by providing location and speed data. Foxx hopes the communication systems will be mandatory within a few years.

“Our goal is to have a proposal that will be developed before the administration closes its doors,” Foxx said in news conference. He added that traffic data suggests that cross-car communication could prevent 70-80 percent of accident situations involving sober drivers.

Complex Systems

The raw data suggests that automobile communication systems could eliminate a large portion of crashes caused by driver error, but the technology still has a few hurdles to overcome. Researchers say some points of contention include:

  • Creating a large enough network for the system to function appropriately
  • Consumer privacy and security
  • Affordability
  • Consumer acceptance
  • Legal and regulatory framework

Of the above issues, automakers are primarily concerned about consumer backlash over privacy issues. Mr. Foxx said consumer security is one of their main areas of focus, and he added that vehicles wouldn’t share identifying information.

Automakers are also hesitant to aggressively pursue vehicle-to-vehicle communications before liability issues are fully addressed.

How It Would Work

According to the Transportation Department, early studies have examined the proficiency of short-distance radio networks in reducing vehicle crashes and collisions.

Their current tests feature a radio network that sends signals up to 300 yards that project a vehicle’s position, speed and direction. By analyzing the variables of all the other cars on the road, the communication system could provide early warning signals before they become apparent to the driver.

While the technology may not be mandatory for years, it’s clear that new automobile safety measures are needed. There were 33,561 traffic deaths in 2012, up nearly 1,000 from the previous year. 2012 marked the first time in seven years that the number of traffic fatalities rose. It is believed that number declined in 2013, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is still working on the official tally.

Related source: The Wall Street Journal